


purrfectly at home

by tatoeba



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Domestic, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cats, Fluff, M/M, Polyamory, i have no idea how this ended up 8k, i love cbx so much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 10:27:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12130473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatoeba/pseuds/tatoeba
Summary: minseok and jongdae bring home a box of stray kittens. unfortunately, baekhyun is a dog person.





	purrfectly at home

**Author's Note:**

> I'VE MISSED WRITING CBX!!!!! that's probably why this ended up eight fucking thousand words when it had no reason to be lmao i should mention just in case that this is NOT related to sbsbs verse! this is just a fun little totally random cbx inspired by this [prompt](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DKC1HCVWAAE9qnA.jpg) :D
> 
> everything i know about cats i learned from google!!! 
> 
> i hope u enjoy! thank u to bianca for the look over as always ❤

"We can't just leave them here," Jongdae says, the edge of worry in his voice reflected in the furrow of his brow. "It's going to rain."

"I know," Minseok says with a sigh. He pulls his cap off his head to run a hand agitatedly through his hair, then jams the cap back on. "Alright," he says finally. "We'll take them home with us."

Jongdae's cheer makes Minseok smile despite everything. When he looks down at the box of three teeny, tiny kittens, he smiles even wider and crouches down to greet them properly, holding a hand out for each of them to sniff in turn. Jongdae joins him, setting his backpack on the ground despite Minseok's complaint that it's dirty in this cramped side alley, and holds a hand out as well. The kittens are simultaneously curious and afraid, shrinking away at first but then slowly responding to Jongdae's soft mewling noises. Figures that Jongdae can speak cat.

"They're so cute," Jongdae whispers, as if speaking too loudly will scare the kittens away. After ten minutes of waiting, he's finally gotten one of the cats into his hands, a scruffy furry thing with bright eyes.

Minseok's not been nearly as successful, but the other cats have started to tentatively bat at his fingers, so there's been progress. "They really are," he agrees. "Baekhyun's going to kill us, though."

"Baekhyun will love them," Jongdae says confidently, gently bopping the kitten's nose. "How can he resist them?"

Minseok looks back at the kittens, his own heart melting at their soft whimpering sounds, and figures Jongdae must be right. After all, Minseok couldn't resist them, and Baekhyun is much more of a pushover than he is.

He's also a bonafide Dog Person, but for now, as the little brown cat finally crawls into his hands, Minseok decides not to think about it.

 

 

（ΦωΦ）

 

 

Baekhyun is at work for another hour, so after taking the cats home, Jongdae runs out to the nearest corner store to pick up the supplies they'll need.

"You know we can't actually keep them, right?" Minseok reminds him as Jongdae pulls his wallet and phone out of his backpack. "We don't have room for three cats, and I'm pretty sure the apartment only allows one pet per unit--"

"Relax," Jongdae says with a laugh, reaching out to squeeze Minseok's shoulder to calm him down. "I know. It's okay. But until we can give them away, we're gonna need to be prepared, right?"

Minseok sighs, shoulders drooping as he nods. "Do you want me to go with you?" he asks but Jongdae shakes his head.

"Someone should stay with the kitties," he says. "And just in case Baekhyun gets home early."

"You just don't want to be in the range of fire if he does," Minseok accuses, and Jongdae leans over to plant a wet kiss to his cheek before he dashes out of the apartment with a hasty, "Be right back!"

Minseok's left with three tiny cats in a dirty old box and a silent apartment. He sighs again, glancing at the cats, and mutters to himself, "What did I get myself into?"

The little brown cat meows back at him, and Minseok can't help but smile. "Okay, okay," he says, mostly to himself, rubbing his palms down the front of his sweatpants. He really should shower, since he just spent the past few hours leading dance classes at the studio where he works, but until Jongdae gets home, he doesn't want to leave the kittens alone.

He runs into the bedroom closet to find a cardboard box from when they’d ordered new pillows for the bed, just large enough for the kittens and much less dirty. It's full of some old clothes, belts, and shoes, that he sets aside in the back of the closet for now to deal with later. He grabs one of the old shirts to line the bottom of the box and then returns to the living room.

The kittens are mewling for attention. Minseok sits on the floor in front of the box and slowly reaches in with his hands, waiting for them to recognize him again before he scoops each of them one by one into the new box. He gives each of them a little pet to calm them before he breaks the other box down and puts it with the rest of their recycling which he realizes they need to take out later. He returns to the kittens, sitting back on the floor and pulling his phone from his pocket to run a quick Google search on how to take care of cats.

Minseok's always been a little afraid of cats, to be honest. He had a bad experience with one as a kid and it wasn't until Han got himself two cats a few years ago did he have any reason to be around them at all. Han's cats weren't kittens, so as cute as they were, they kind of freaked Minseok out more than the little ones in the box sitting before him. It took a few attempts before he finally got used to Han's cats and didn't think they were going to kill him in his sleep whenever he crashed there after a long night of drinking.

Minseok knows cats can take pretty good care of themselves but kittens are a whole other matter. He's not even sure how old these kittens are, but a couple of links later, he's pretty confident the kittens are at least six weeks old because their eyes are no longer bright blue. He texts this tidbit of information to Jongdae, just in case, and then looks back down at the cats before he snaps a photo of them.

He smiles at the image, then sends it to Han. Now that he thinks about it, they probably could have borrowed some supplies from him for the cats instead of purchasing new ones, but Han never had three young kittens, so it might be better this way. Jongdae's texting Minseok that he's on his way home so there's no much that can be done about it now anyway.

He sets his phone aside and plucks the little brown kitten from the box, sets it down on the floor and watches as it curiously walks around just as he hears the familiar jingling of keys and the door being opened around the corner. He's expecting Jongdae, so he's surprised that it's Baekhyun who stumbles inside, already mumbling, "Today's been such a fucking shitshow, can we order a pizza or something, I know it's my day to attempt cooking but I literally cannot--"

He stops abruptly when he walks into the living room and finds Minseok on the floor. That's not where his eyes are, though, and Minseok follows his gaze to the brown kitten, and then to the box where the other two are attempting valiantly to peer over the edge.

"What the fuck is that," Baekhyun says and Minseok winces even though Baekhyun doesn't sound mad, just. Confused. Cautious. He's slowly pulling his work bag off his shoulder and setting it against the wall before taking a tentative step closer to Minseok. The kitten seems to sense him, and turns in his direction, and Minseok laughs when Baekhyun takes a very large step back.

"You're not scared, are you?" Minseok asks, but he knows Baekhyun isn't. He's been to Han's plenty of times, even let the cats curl up in his lap and sleep, but right now he's staring at the kitten like it might eat him and despite Minseok finding Baekhyun utterly cute, he's also back to worrying about whether bringing the cats home was a good idea after all.

"I'm not," Baekhyun says. "I just wasn't expecting to come home to _cats_." He says the word like it's a disease. He looks at the box again and sighs. "You couldn't have picked up stray puppies?"

"Sorry, the streets were fresh out," Minseok teases, and he reaches out to scoop the kitten back into his hands so Baekhyun can finally relax. "Look--" he starts, but then the door to the apartment is opening again and Jongdae is home, whistling cheerfully as he walks into the living room and almost runs into Baekhyun still hovering in the entryway.

"Oh you're back," he says with a bright smile, and then leans in to kiss Baekhyun's lips. That seems to do the trick, as Baekhyun's shoulders visibly sag and he smiles for the first time since he arrived, eyes softening as he returns Jongdae's kiss. "Did you see our surprise?" he asks when he pulls away, setting three large bags down onto the couch.

"If by surprise you mean you mean the teeny spawn of satan in that box, then yes," Baekhyun says, and he yelps when Jongdae punches him in the shoulder.

"Baekhyun, we know you don't actually hate cats," Minseok says with a roll of his eyes. "You'd never set foot in Han's apartment if you were."

"Besides, look how cute they are!" Jongdae says brightly, plucking up the white kitten from the box and holding him out into Baekhyun's face. Baekhyun jerks back but the longer he stares, the more obvious it becomes that he's being won over.

"We can't keep them," is all he says, frowning.

"We're just holding onto them for a little while, right?" Jongdae says, looking down hopefully at Minseok. "I mean, I did just buy a bunch of stuff for them so we can't just throw them back out."

"Of course we're not doing _that_ ," Minseok says. "We'll figure something out."

Baekhyun gives the cats another wary look. "Well, the way I see it," he says slowly, "is that you guys definitely owe me a favor now."

Jongdae joins Minseok on the floor, setting the white cat down and retrieving the black one from the box. Minseok looks up at Baekhyun and says, only a little exasperatedly, "What would you like, Baekhyun?"

"Pizza," Baekhyun says immediately. "Or--wait--maybe some chicken wings. Both?"

"That could be arranged," Minseok agrees. He's pretty hungry too, now that the lingering worry about Baekhyun kicking him and Jongdae and their cats out of the apartment has faded away with minimal difficulties. Minseok sets the brown kitten back in the box and looks to Jongdae, who seems totally infatuated with the other kittens. "Want to order? I need to shower."

"Yeah, sure," he says without looking up, and Minseok gets to his feet, follows Baekhyun down to the bedroom.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Minseok asks softly as he pulls off his cap and sets it out on the dresser. "Because it's alright if you’re not."

Baekhyun heaves a deep sigh as he unzips his large black hoodie and then pulls his shirt off over his head. "It's okay," he says. "I mean, you could've just given me a heads up, but--I understand that you couldn't just leave them outside either."

"You're right," Minseok says, walking up to Baekhyun and tugging him close with fingers wrapped around his elbow. "We should've called you about it first, or let you know we'd brought them home at all. I'm sorry."

"I guess I can forgive you," Baekhyun says loftily, even though the clear adoration in his eyes gives him away. "If you kiss me."

Minseok laughs, his heart at ease, and does just that. Baekhyun's hands find his hips and pull him even closer, and their kiss turns into two, three, five, ten, soft and sweet and gentle, until they're laughing against each other's lips and pulling away. "Is that all?" Minseok asks, lifting a hand up to brush through Baekhyun's hair.

Baekhyun leans right into his touch and Minseok holds his tongue so he doesn't tell Baekhyun how much he's acting like a cat right now. "For now," Baekhyun says. "I'll let you know if I need more."

"All right," Minseok agrees, but he kisses Baekhyun once more anyway.

Baekhyun's bright smile lingers behind Minseok’s eyes all through his shower. When he emerges, dressed in clean clothes and wet hair dripping onto the small towel he hangs around his neck, he finds that Jongdae's transformed the living room into a cat-friendly environment. There's a cute cat bed in the corner, where the kittens are all resting, a pile of toys beside them. A bag of kitty litter sits beside two litter boxes and Jongdae is lying on his stomach in front of the cats, cooing at them as he takes pictures.

Baekhyun is sitting on the couch, staring at him with wary eyes, but not even his dislike of cats can stop the way his lips twitch into a fond smile as Minseok joins him. "He's never going to let those cats go now," Baekhyun says in a hushed whisper that isn't much of a whisper at all.

Jongdae glances at them over his shoulder, pouting. "Look at how cute they are!" he says, for what feels like the hundredth time. "How can you blame me for wanting to keep them?"

"We should've just taken them to the nearest shelter first," Minseok says, regretting the decision only a little. It's cute, seeing Jongdae like this, and he can't deny having the cats around is kind of nice, too, but he doesn't want Jongdae--or any of them--to get too attached when he knows there's no way they can keep all three of them.

"Well, it's too late for that now," Jongdae says with a huff as he pulls himself up to his knees, shuffling forward to grab the kitty litter bag and fill one of the litter boxes up. "They said we should have one litter box for each kitten, but I think two will be okay until we figure out what we're doing with them."

"Jongdae--" Minseok starts, wanting to warn him, chastise him, something, he's not entirely sure what, but Jongdae just flashes him a grin and waves a hand dismissively.

"Seriously, you guys, don't worry," he says. "I'll take care of them if you're not interested."

"We never said that," Baekhyun mumbles, crossing his arms over his chest. "If we're just holding onto them for a few days, then what's the need for all of this?"

"We have to take care of them, don't we?" Jongdae returns and when neither Baekhyun nor Minseok can deny that, he beams, jumping to his feet. "Exactly," he says. "So just enjoy our new roommates while we have them."

"Easy for you to say," Baekhyun retorts, casting the cats a dark look. Minseok snorts and elbows him in the side until Baekhyun cracks a small sheepish smile.

Jongdae takes the second litter box and bag into the bathroom to set up and Minseok sighs as he looks over at the kittens all curled up beside each other. Jongdae's right, he guesses. They can't bring them home and not take care of them properly. And maybe they'll only have them for the night, or maybe they'll have to watch over them a couple more days, either way at least they're prepared for it now.

Their food arrives soon after and Minseok gets up to pay, bringing back delicious smelling pizza and a bag of chicken wings and whatever else Baekhyun had made Jongdae order, and sets them out on the coffee table. He's been trying to get them to eat more properly at the kitchen table because they tend to make too much of a mess here, but with the kittens around, Minseok figures it'd be better to sit where they can watch over them.

"What are we supposed to feed them?" Minseok asks aloud, suddenly realizing that the cats probably need food, too.

"Jongdae said he brought some," Baekhyun says, nodding his chin over to the remaining plastic bag from the store beside the cat bed. Then, surprisingly, he goes over himself to scrounge through it, finding small food bowls and the food itself, packaged in tin cans. Baekhyun shakes his head a little at the puppy shaped bowls and says, "These are for dogs."

"Yeah, I figured it'd help you get over your irrational hatred of them if you pretended they were puppies," Jongdae says as he strolls back in, immediately walking over to check on the kittens again.

Baekhyun shoves his shoulder half-heartedly and says, "I don't _hate_ them."

"You haven't even touched one yet," Jongdae says.

"That proves nothing," Baekhyun fires back, but he helps Jongdae fill up the bowls carefully before he returns to the couch and picks up a slice of pizza. He takes a big bite and slumps back against the couch with a satisfied sigh. "Pizza really does make everything better."

"Pretty sure holding a kitten also makes everything better," Jongdae says but laughs when Baekhyun scoffs. He casts the now mostly dozing kittens one last look before he joins them around the coffee table, grabbing a chicken wing and digging in with enthusiasm. "Don't worry, Baekhyun, we'll convert you into a cat person soon enough."

"Hah," Baekhyun says around a mouthful of pizza. "Good luck with that."

Minseok shakes his head, wraps an arm around Baekhyun's shoulders and presses a little kiss to his temple. "You're just being stubborn on purpose," he teases and Baekhyun shrugs a shoulder even as he grins.

"Maybe," he says. "It's been a long day. Tomorrow I might be more welcoming to the little cretins."

"Baekhyun's gonna be the one who won't let us get rid of them, I'm calling it now," Jongdae says, stretching his legs out under the coffee table and bumping his feet against Baekhyun's ankles. Baekhyun easily kicks him back, and Minseok watches as their game of footsie grows more and more intense.

"It's no surprise Jongdae loves the cats so much, since he is one," Baekhyun retorts.

"Then what's your excuse for loving me?" Jongdae says.

"Who says I love you?"

Minseok laughs at their antics, his chest warm as he grabs himself some more food. Baekhyun is leaning against him more comfortably now, and one of Jongdae's feet brush over his but doesn't move away, and he smiles when Minseok catches his eye. Minseok might've been worried coming home with the kittens, unsure of Baekhyun's reaction, but he realizes that he didn't have to be. Baekhyun is still Baekhyun, loud and cute and silly, and even if he doesn't like cats, he's still here, curled up against Minseok, bickering with Jongdae, making their home feel as bright and comfortable as always.

He curls up with Minseok in bed a few hours later too, after they've eaten their full and cleaned out the living room. They spent some time researching the best way to care for kittens overnight and Jongdae offers to sleep out on the couch to watch them just in case.

"It's fine," he says cheerfully, gathering up a pillow and some blankets from the closet. He's beaming, like he's thrilled to be having a sleepover with the kittens. "I want to do it."

"We're gonna wake up to Jongdae magically having transformed into a cat tomorrow," Baekhyun says as he strips down totally naked before throwing himself into bed.

Jongdae just rolls his eyes and gives Minseok a kiss before he returns to the living room to sleep on the couch. Minseok joins Baekhyun in bed once he's turned the light off in their room, and Baekhyun immediately rolls into him, wraps his arms around Minseok's waist and kisses him.

"You're kind of a cat, too, aren't you?" Baekhyun whispers aloud and Minseok snorts, pats Baekhyun's hand.

"See?" he says. "You are a cat person after all."

Baekhyun squawks indignantly but doesn't deny it, and Minseok soon falls asleep with a smile on his face.

 

 

（ΦωΦ）

 

 

Minseok wakes the next morning to quiet meowing. Something soft and furry brushes over his arm, then the side of his face, and he groans as he peers his eyes open, blinking through the lingering haze of sleep until he realizes that Jongdae's sitting in bed with him and he's brought all three of the kitties.

"Good morning," Jongdae says cheerfully, pressing the little white kitten into Minseok's face. Minseok laughs softly but reaches up to take her, holding her in both of his hands. She mewls, licks at his fingertips and Minseok falls a little more in love. It's always nice to wake up beside Jongdae and Baekhyun, but there's something special about this, too.

"Why did you bring them here?" grumbles Baekhyun from beside Minseok. He's hidden beneath the blanket, only a tuft of his unruly black hair and his narrowed eyes visible from under the edge.

"We thought it was a good way to wake you both up," Jongdae says with a grin. He pets the little black kitten in his lap. "Right, baby?" he asks the kitten, and when it makes a soft purring sound, he grins even wider at Baekhyun as if that justifies it all. "See?"

"Whatever," Baekhyun says, and Minseok sets down the kitten in his hands down on the blankets so he can pull Baekhyun close instead and kiss his lips. "Are you still gonna be sour about the kittens today? I was hoping a good night's sleep would've cooled you down."

Baekhyun stares at him for a moment, looking a little more mollified after the kiss despite the stubborn set to his jaw. Finally, though, he deflates, and he smiles a little crookedly. "Okay, okay, I guess I can be more...friendly," he says.

"Friendly is good," Minseok says, patting Baekhyun's knee through the blankets. "We're not saying you have to love them but--"

"Stop staring at them like you're waiting for them to claw your eyes out," Jongdae cuts in.

"Yeah," Minseok laughs. "That."

"I'll try," Baekhyun says as he sits up, leaning back against the headboard of their bed. "I make no promises though, and if one of them does scratch my eyeballs out, I'm blaming you." He sticks his tongue out at Jongdae.

Jongdae rolls his eyes and holds out the kitten in his hands. "Here," he says. "Pet him."

Baekhyun stares at the little ball of fur for a few seconds, like he's sizing him up, but then reaches out to pet the kitten gently along its back. The kitten mewls softly, moving into the touch, and Minseok watches the way Baekhyun's face melts into one of sheer endearment. He smirks, amused, and glances at Jongdae, who's noticed, too.

Baekhyun looks up at them, seems to catch onto their smugness, and flushes. "Don't say a word," he warns them both, withdrawing his hand.

"Wasn't gonna," Jongdae singsongs, pulling the kitten back against his chest. "Right?" he asks the kitten again, and Baekhyun groans.

"Move already, I need to get ready for work," he says, but waits until Minseok and Jongdae have moved the other kittens out of the way so Baekhyun can throw the blankets off him and stumbled nakedly out of bed. He glances back at them over his shoulder and says, "Anyone wanna join me for a shower, or are you too busy with the kittens?"

Minseok looks down at the three kittens now crawling all over the bed, over the little hills of his legs under the sheets and playing with Jongdae's fingers like they're specifically-designed cat toys. Jongdae shrugs at Baekhyun, says, "I'm good," and Minseok hesitates just long enough for Baekhyun to gasp, outraged.

"You'd really pick the kittens over me?" he exclaims. He doesn't give them a chance to reply before he's continuing, "I'm divorcing you both."

"Baekhyun--" Minseok says, but Baekhyun's already shaking his head and stomping off into the bathroom.

Minseok glances helplessly at Jongdae, somewhere between exasperated at Baekhyun's antics but also a little guilty. Maybe this all could've been avoided if he and Jongdae had told Baekhyun about the kittens before they'd brought them home.

"I'll go talk to him," Jongdae says.

"I'm getting the impression he's not interested in talking to either of us right now."

Jongdae shrugs, pulling his shirt off over his head. "Then I'll suck his dick so good he'll forget ever being upset about this," he says, grinning wickedly as Minseok laughs. "Watch over them for me? They ate earlier, so they probably just want some attention now."

"Sure," Minseok says. A quick glance at the alarm clock on their night stand tells Minseok he has plenty of time before he has to go to work. Jongdae already decided to take the day off to be here with the kittens and to call local shelters to see if anyone could take them in.

Jongdae leans over the kittens to kiss Minseok's cheek in thanks, and then he's gone, joining Baekhyun in the shower and hopefully knocking some sense into him.

"Obviously we'd pick Baekhyun over you guys," Minseok tells the kittens, but then immediately feels a little bad. "I mean, you guys are important, too, but--ahh--Why am I even talking to you about this? Who am I? Jongdae?"

He laughs at himself, shaking his head, and reaches over to the bedside table to retrieve his phone. There's a few messages from Han, yelling at him about the kittens and the photos that Jongdae must've sent him last night. Minseok shakes his head with a small smile and begins to type out a response when he hears the familiar sound of Baekhyun's moan over the rush of the shower. He glances over at the bathroom door, figuring Jongdae must have really done as he said, and only turns back when one of the kittens tries batting his phone out of his hands.

"No," he chides softly, lifting his hands out of the way and sending off his reply quickly. "You can't do that."

As if it can understand him, the little brown kitten meows at him. There's no way Minseok can actually be mad at something so cute, so he sets his phone aside and pets the kitten. He's really started to become fond of this one.

Another glance at the clock tells him he should probably get out of bed and at least put on the coffee while Jongdae and Baekhyun finish their shower. He's pretty sure the kittens will be fine in the bed, but the second he gets out, they're staring up at him with wide eyes as if they know he's going to leave and they feel it's the biggest betrayal.

"All right, all right," he laughs, and plucks each of them off the bed, setting them onto the floor. They follow him out of the bedroom, and the little black one returns to the cat bed as they pass by the living room. The other two stay at Minseok's heels as he walks into the kitchen, and just as he gets the coffee machine up and running, he hears the shower turn off down the hall.

He finds Baekhyun and Jongdae giggling and smacking each other with wet towels when he returns to the bedroom. Baekhyun's grin is wide and lights up his whole face, and Minseok's glad, that he seems to be in a better mood now. A good enough mood, in fact, that he walks up to Minseok and rubs his slightly damp body all over him, arms wrapped around Minseok's waist to keep him from running away.

"Good morning," he says cheerfully, but then wheezes once Minseok manages to elbow him in the gut.

"Stop messing around," Minseok chides him, even as he reaches up to brush back Baekhyun's wet hair. "You're gonna be late for work."

Baekhyun makes a little humming noise as he dips down to press his lips to Minseok's. "So are you," he says after, then gives Minseok's butt a firm smack, nudging him toward the shower.

"I'm going, I'm going," Minseok laughs, and he leaves the two of them to their own devices, slipping into the bathroom to shower. He's barely got shampoo in his hair when he hears a familiar mewling sound blending in with the water pouring from the faucet. He frowns, quickly rinses out his hair, and then peeks open the shower curtain to find the little brown kitten clawing at the door.

Minseok laughs. He didn't even notice the kitten had followed him in here. "You're a sneaky little one, aren't you?" he says, when the kitten turns to him. He shakes his head, ducks back into the shower and quickly finishes up, drying off with a towel that he then wraps around his waist before he steps out.

He picks the kitten up and walks back to the bedroom, where Jongdae is crouched on the floor, looking under the bed. He jerks up when he hears Minseok enter, and then lets out the biggest sigh of relief at the sight of the kitten in Minseok's arms. "Fuck," he says, falling back onto his butt and running hands through his hair. "I couldn't find him! I thought he'd disappeared!"

"He followed me into the bathroom," Minseok says, handing Jongdae the kitten so he can find clothes to wear to work. The good thing about being a dance instructor is that Minseok never has to dress up; he finds the cleanest pair of Nike sweatpants and a black tank shirt to throw on over that.

He pulls on one of Baekhyun's large hoodies because it's still a little chilly out in the mornings, and retrieves his phone from the bed. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay here on your own with three kittens?" he asks Jongdae from where he's still on the floor with the brown one. The other two must be in the other room still.

"Yeah, I should be fine," he says, getting up to his feet and following Minseok out of the room. "Han said he might stop by to help if I need it, but he probably just wants to cuddle with the kittens, too."

That sounds about right, Minseok thinks with a small laugh. "If you need me to pick up anything, let me know," he says, finding his wallet out on the coffee table and tucking it into his pocket. "Don't forget to call the shelters and see if they--"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I got it," Jongdae cuts him off, darting forward to kiss Minseok softly on the lips. "Get out of here."

Minseok narrows his eyes at him for a moment for being so rudely kicked out, but then laughs, kisses him again, and gives the little kitten in Jongdae's arm a soft pet between its ears. "See you later," he says, waving as he heads out.

 

 

（ΦωΦ）

 

 

"I hear you have three kittens," says Jongin in way of greeting, when he and Minseok run out to grab lunch. Jongin teaches the children dance courses at the studio, and the two of them usually try to meet up in the middle of the day to eat before their next classes.

"Jesus," Minseok says as they enter the nearest sandwich shop. "Did Jongdae tell everyone?"

Jongin laughs, shoves his hands into the pockets of his track pants. "Probably," he says with one of his pretty smiles that makes so many of the moms (and dads) of his students flirt with him after lessons. "Are you guys keeping them?"

"I don't think we can," Minseok says with a sigh. "We don't really have the space for all of them."

Jongin nods, a little frown to his lips. He says nothing though, instead stepping up to counter so he can place his order first, and then steps aside when he's done so Minseok can order, too. "If you're looking to give them away," Jongin says as Minseok slips his card back into his wallet and follows Jongin aside to wait for their sandwiches to be made. "Soojung and I might be interested in taking one. I'm not totally positive about it but we've been thinking about getting a cat for awhile."

"Really?" Minseok says, tilting his head to the side in surprise. It's the first he's heard about it.

Jongin shrugs a shoulder. "Yeah," he says. "It seems like a good time for us, you know?"

That makes Minseok chuckle softly. "You guys are so cute," he says. "First engaged, now thinking about adopting pets. So grown up."

A blush spreads across Jongin's cheeks, and he jumps in surprise when an employee behind the counter calls out his sandwich order. He takes it meekly, still flustered, but tells Minseok, "We thought about the cat thing before the engagement! It just didn't end up happening in that order."

"Well, I'm not sure what we're gonna do with the cats," Minseok says, smiling at the employee when she hands over his sandwich, too. "But I think if we were gonna give them away to anyone, you guys will be top of the list now."

"Awesome," Jongin says with a grin and they squeeze their way out of the crowded shop to return to the studio. It's always quieter and more comfortable to eat there. "I'll double-check with Soojung, but it should be okay. You guys should keep one too though, you know. With the three of you, it'd be pretty easy to look after one."

Minseok makes a soft noise of consideration. "Maybe," he says. "Baekhyun's still grumpy that we didn't find a box of stray puppies."

"He'll get over it," Jongin laughs. "He loves you guys, so if you want a kitten, he wants a kitten too."

"You say that like it's so easy," Minseok says, but Jongin just smiles and nods and says, "It is."

 

 

（ΦωΦ）

 

 

When Minseok returns home later that night, it's to Jongdae and Baekhyun making out in the kitchen. It's not an unusual sight to come home to, but it still makes Minseok laugh, even as a little fizzle of heat settles low in his stomach at the sight of them. Baekhyun, who has Jongdae pushed against the counter, pulls back first, an unrepentant grin on his face as he bounds over to Minseok and kisses him, too.

"Ahh, I'm so glad you're home," he says in between presses of their lips, "Jongdae's mad at me because I accidentally locked one of the kittens in the bathroom."

"He didn't look very mad at you just now," Minseok says, raising a brow at Jongdae over Baekhyun's shoulder.

Jongdae shrugs. "He's good at distracting me."

"He is good at that, isn't he?" Minseok says as he looks back at Baekhyun who just waggles his brows in return.

"You like it," he says, patting Minseok's butt and Minseok rolls his eyes as he steps away.

"Did you really lock a kitten in the bathroom?" Minseok asks him and Baekhyun's expression immediately morphs into a cute pout.

" _Accidentally!_ " he exclaims.

Jongdae scoffs from where he's stirring a pot of something on the stove. "A likely story," he says, and Baekhyun huffs, walking back over to Jongdae so he can poke him in the sides in retaliation. Minseok just shakes his head at them and retreats, stopping in the living room to greet the kittens. The black and brown ones are in the bed, but the white one is on the couch, dozing. Minseok picks her up as he sits down, propping his feet up on the coffee table and setting her in his lap to pet her gently as he sighs.

There is something comforting about cats, he thinks, and the urge to keep even one of them is growing stronger and stronger. But if Baekhyun's accidentally-on-purpose locking cats in the bathroom, he's not so sure keeping any of them is going to be possible, no matter what Jongin had said.

He sighs again, peering down at the little white kitten. "How can anyone hate you when you're so cute?" he asks, scratching her behind the ears.

"Fuck, you're talking to them too," Baekhyun says as he waltzes into the room, crossing his arms over his chest as he looks down at Minseok as if he's betrayed him. "We're keeping all three of them, aren't we?"

"We _can't_ ," Minseok says. "What did the shelters say? Can they take them?"

"I called and they're all overbooked," Jongdae yells from the kitchen. "They don't have the space right now for three whole kittens."

"Figures," Baekhyun says with an eyeroll. He sits down on the couch beside Minseok and watches with beady eyes as the white kitten crawls off Minseok's lap and paws at Baekhyun's thigh. Surprisingly, he doesn't move away.

"Jongin said he and Soojung might take one off our hands," Minseok says, and he fishes his phone out of his pocket to check if Jongin's had the chance to talk with Soojung about it. There's no messages from him, so he types one up quickly to remind him about it.

"Really?" Jongdae says as he practically bounces over, beaming. "That would be awesome, you know? We wouldn't be separating them too much. They could still have playdates."

"They're not _kids_ ," says Baekhyun.

"Shut your mouth," Jongdae returns, brandishing the wooden spoon in his hand like a weapon. Baekhyun sticks his tongue out in response.

"That still leaves us with two kittens," Baekhyun says once Jongdae's stomped back to the kitchen. "Or well, one. I'm assuming you guys want to keep one, right?"

Minseok stares at him. "Is that...okay...with you?" he asks carefully, not willing to get his hopes up.

Baekhyun looks from Minseok to the white kitten now dozing off on the couch between them and then anywhere but at Minseok as he huffs, as if completely put-upon. "Yeah," he says, shrugging a shoulder. "I guess I'd survive. I mean, you guys really like them and it's kind of cute, and cats are easier to look after than dogs so it probably wouldn’t be all that bad, and it'd be better than sending one to a shelter since Jongdae already went and bought shit for them and like I can't promise that Mongryong won't try to eat it when he comes to visit but--"

"Baekhyun," Minseok says with a laugh.

Baekhyun cuts his eyes over to him and Minseok knows him well enough to catch the little twitch of his lips, the mischievous sparkle in his eye. He's okay with this, even if he's pretending not to be, and Minseok grabs the front of Baekhyun's shirt to drag him into a kiss.

"It's really okay if you would rather we get give all of them away," Minseok reminds him after, just to be sure, but Baekhyun shakes his head, smiling.

"I've made up my mind," he says. "We can keep one." From the kitchen, Jongdae lets out a loud whoop that makes Baekhyun laugh. "If a little cat makes you guys happy, then it makes me happy too." His cheeks grow a little pink at that, and he drops his gaze back to the white kitten and he reaches out to gently stroke her back. "Besides, they are kind of cute."

"You're kind of cute," Minseok tells him and Baekhyun gasps, offended.

"I'm _always_ cute," he says.

"That's debatable," Jongdae says as he joins them again, but before Baekhyun can squawk at him indignantly, he adds, "Thank you."

Baekhyun's expression melts instantly at the sincerity in Jongdae's voice, and he smiles, one of those pretty smiles of his that still never fails to make Minseok's heart race in his chest. "It's nothing," he says, even though it is and they all know it. But if Baekhyun doesn't want to make it a big deal, then they won't, so Minseok just pats his knee and looks to Jongdae, asks, "Do you need help with dinner?"

"Nah, it's almost done," Jongdae says. "Go wash up and then we can eat and figure out what to do with the last cat."

 

 

（ΦωΦ）

 

 

The next morning they're nowhere closer to knowing what to do with all the cats, but Jongin and Soojung stop by to see them, fully on board with taking one home.

"They're beautiful," Soojung says, a bright smile on her face as she lets all three kittens crawl all over her. "You're sure we can take one?"

"Yeah, of course," Minseok says as he watches them from the couch, finishing his mug of coffee. He and Jongin both have to be at work soon, but Soojung wanted to see the kittens this morning so they could hopefully take one home later that day after buying a carrier and other supplies. She's already pretty infatuated with the white kitten it seems, and Minseok is secretly glad it's not the brown one that he's been hoping they'd keep.

"We still need to find a place for one more," Minseok says after a moment and Jongin perks up from where he's been taking photos of the kittens and Soojung on his phone.

"You guys decided to keep one then?" he asks and when Minseok nods, he grins. "See? I told you Baekhyun wouldn't mind."

"You were right, you were right," Minseok admits and Jongin looks adorably pleased by the fact.

"If Chanyeol wasn't allergic, he'd have probably tried to take all of them from you," Jongin says. "Doesn't Han want another cat? After Zhu passed away awhile back, I thought he might've wanted another."

"Yeah, I asked him about it and he said he wasn't sure, that it might be too soon," Minseok replies with a soft laugh. "He's never had a kitten before either, so he's probably just worried about having to actually look after it."

Soojung snorts. "That sounds more like him," she says and then holds up the little white cat. "I've decided on you," she declares proudly before holding the kitten out to Jongin. "What do you think, babe?"

"Cute," Jongin says with a nod and Soojung grins, pokes Jongin's nose with the tip of her finger.

"So are you," she says and Minseok laughs at Jongin's surprised squawk. "We'll come back later tonight to pick her up, if that's okay?"

"Definitely," Minseok says, getting to his feet so he can put his mug away in the sink. He checks on the food bowls for the kittens and makes sure there's nothing breakable within easy reach because the kittens will have to fend for themselves today. Jongdae was ready to stay home again to watch over them, but he has an important interview with a client for an article he's writing that couldn't be rescheduled. Minseok plans to stop back at home during lunch to check up on the kittens, and Baekhyun grudgingly admitted he could leave work an hour or two early to make sure the kittens weren't alone too long.

"I mean, I _guess_ I can design websites at home," he'd said last night as they were getting ready for bed. Minseok and Jongdae had shared a look and then decided smothering Baekhyun's face in kisses until he was breathless and laughing was a great way to convey their thanks.

Minseok's only a little nervous about leaving the kittens alone, but he reminds himself he'll be back in a few hours to make sure they're all right and that the apartment isn't completely destroyed. He and Jongin say goodbye to Soojung once they make it outside, and together the two of them head to the studio. Jongin is smiling at a photo he took of Soojung and the white kitten and Minseok nudges him in the side with an elbow, smirking.

"You guys are precious," he teases and Jongin, flustered, shoves his phone away and grumbles, "Shut up, shut up," picking up his pace and walking ahead of Minseok who follows after him with a laugh.

 

 

（ΦωΦ）

 

 

The kittens are perfectly fine when Minseok stops by during lunch. They haven't destroyed anything in the apartment, but they did knock over some of their food. It only takes a few minutes to clean, and Minseok sets an alarm on his phone just to ensure he's not late for his next class, and spends his break rolling around on the floor, playing with the kittens, heart warm and full.

When he comes home in the evening after a long day, he finds Baekhyun dozing in bed with all three of the kittens around him. The little brown one is napping on his chest and the other two are practically tucked into his sides. Minseok stares at the sight for a long time, then takes about thirty photos of it, just because he can, and because he's sure it'll prove useful in the future when Baekhyun undoubtedly continues to pretend he hates cats.

He leaves them to nap, closing the door to the bedroom, and goes to make dinner. Jongdae arrives about an hour later, stopping in the kitchen to wrap his arms around Minseok's waist from behind, notching his chin on his shoulder.

"Smells good," he says, staring at the chicken Minseok's been stir-frying. "I'm starving."

"Did you skip lunch again?" Minseok questions, and the way Jongdae doesn't meet his eyes is answer enough. He clicks his tongue and says, "I know you get busy, but that's not an excuse not to eat _something_."

"I know, I know," Jongdae sighs. "I was making up for not going in yesterday. Junmyeon gets so intense sometimes. I barely had time to pee in between all the shit I had to do."

"Well, this should be done soon," Minseok says. "Wanna go wake Baekhyun up?"

"Ugh, I've been working like crazy all day and he's been _napping_?"

"Yeah, with the kittens," Minseok adds, smiling, and Jongdae gasps, pulling back so he can glance down the hall toward their bedroom, then back at Minseok.

"That punk," he grumbles. "Not a cat person, my ass."

He turns and stomps down to the bedroom and after a few seconds of silence Minseok hears Baekhyun yell, "It's not what it looks like!"

Two minutes later, Baekhyun rushes into the kitchen, wild-haired and face a little puffy from sleep, and demands, "Tell Jongdae that napping with the kittens doesn't mean I suddenly love cats!"

Laughing, Minseok says, "That's not what the pictures I took of you and the kittens suggest."

Baekhyun gasps. " _Minseok_ ," he says, wounded, as Jongdae joins them, holding the little black kitten in his hands. "I counted on you and you _betrayed_ me."

"Relax, baby," Minseok says softly, stepping up to him and cupping the side of Baekhyun's face. Predictably, he melts from the pet name and into Minseok's touch, and Minseok continues, "Jongin's coming by soon to pick up the white kitten so that's one less you'll have to deal with."

"Okay," Baekhyun says, and before Minseok can lean forward to kiss him, he suddenly exclaims, "Oh! That reminds me!"

Startled, Minseok jerks back, and Baekhyun immediately looks guilty, grabbing Minseok's hands and pulling him back. "I found someone to take the last cat," he says.

"What? Really?" Jongdae says. He almost looks disappointed, like he hoped if they couldn't find anyone else, they'd have been able to keep two kittens instead of just one. "Who?"

"Yeah, Amber said she'd love a new cat," Baekhyun says and Minseok can't believe they didn't think of her sooner. She already has a cat that she loves, it makes sense that she wouldn't mind another. "Since it's Saturday tomorrow, she said she can come by anytime and pick one up."

"Soojung already claimed dibs on the white kitten," Minseok says. "And, well, I'm kind of in love with the brown one."

"Isn't that the one that followed you into the shower?" Jongdae laughs, while Baekhyun looks between them, confused.

"So?" Minseok says and he pulls away from Baekhyun's embrace, suddenly remembering the chicken he's been cooking. Thankfully nothing's burned terribly, but he lowers the heat on the stove, reaches for the vegetables he'd cut up earlier and tosses them into the pan as well.

"Nothing," Jongdae says smartly. "I'm okay with keeping the brown one if you want. They're all cute to me."

"Yeah, it's cool with me too," Baekhyun says and Minseok smiles at them both in thanks.

 

 

（ΦωΦ）

 

 

Sunday morning, Minseok wakes to Jongdae and their little brown kitten in bed. They'd spend most of the previous day arguing about what to name it. Minseok had made the executive decision after hours of bickering and dubbed the kitten _Tan_ because it was the easiest. Jongdae had just rolled his eyes at him but Baekhyun was almost offended.

" _Tan_?" he said. "That's it? That's so boring!"

"You haven't thought of anything interesting either," Jongdae had shot back. "Besides, you named your puppy back home _Mongryong_ so I don't think you have any room to judge stupid pet names."

"Mongryong is named after a character in the Chunhyangjeon!" Baekhyun exclaimed. "It's _cultural_!"

Minseok had left them to squabble, picking up Tan and retreating to the bedroom, and that had been that.

This morning, Tan is curled up beside Jongdae, who is already awake and leaning back against his pillows, scrolling through his phone. He smiles at Minseok when he notices he's woken too, and says, "Hey. Did you sleep well?"

Minseok nods, brushing his hair back from his face. "Have you been awake long?" he asks.

"Nah,” Jongdae says. “Just for a little while. I checked on Tan and brought him back over here because he didn’t want to let go. I think he's a little lonely now that his siblings are gone."

"Poor kitty," Minseok coos, pulling Tan over to him, stroking him gently along the back. Soojung and Jongin had stopped by Friday night to take home the white kitten, and Amber had come over for lunch yesterday, played around with both kittens as they all ate and then left for home with the little black one tucked safely into an old carrier for her other cat, Tuna. "Maybe we can have cat playdates with the others sometime," Minseok says, even if he's not sure that's really a Thing.

Jongdae perks up at the suggestion though so maybe it is. "I'll check with the others and see what they think," he says, tapping away at his phone.

Minseok nods, settling back, eyes still a little heavy from sleep, and for a few minutes they relax in comfortable silence. He’s about to ask Jongdae where Baekhyun is, because it usually takes a lot of effort to get Baekhyun out of bed in the mornings, when Baekhyun walks into the room, grinning. He's only in a pair of sweatpants and Minseok drags his eyes down Baekhyun's chest appreciatively until he realizes Baekhyun's actually hiding something behind his back.

"What're you up to?" Minseok questions as Baekhyun climbs onto the bed, kneeling at the edge.

"I was just thinking," Baekhyun says lightly, "that since I'm such an amazing boyfriend, letting you guys keep that spawn of satan--"

Minseok laughs, turning to Jongdae who is wearing a terribly amused expression. Still, they're both curious, so they look back at Baekhyun and Jongdae gestures at him to continue, and Baekhyun huffs a little, but does.

"I figured you guys could do something for me," he says.

Before either Minseok or Jongdae can ask, Baekhyun tosses whatever he'd been hiding out onto the bed between them. Minseok stares. It takes a second but then--

"You want us to wear _cat ears_?" Jongdae exclaims.

"It's lucky that all the stores are selling Halloween stuff already," Baekhyun says without answering Jongdae. He reaches out to pick up one set of the ears, furry black with little pink bows in the front, and shoves it onto Minseok's head. "Made it so much easier to pick these up after work the other day."

"You're a kinky little shit," Jongdae says, as if he's not the same. Baekhyun just beams at him and jams the second pair of ears, a white set with blue bows, onto Jongdae's head, almost poking him in the eyes when Jongdae instinctively jerks away.

Jongdae is scowling, but Minseok is on the verge of laughing so loud he can't breathe, and they stare at Baekhyun who is assessing them as if they're very fine pieces of art in a museum.

"You know," he says after a moment. "You might've been right. Maybe I _am_ a cat person."

Jongdae lunges for him. As they wrestle, Minseok gives into that helpless laugh, drawing back and out of the way. In his hands, Tan is mewling softly, and Minseok feels so perfectly, so wonderfully at home.

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. minseok's pov is still new to me so i hope i did him justice here. my efforts in taking a Baekhyun Break has basically been to write from the other member's pov instead of his bc that is how weak i am
> 
> 2\. baekhyun is me in this fic cats are the devil >__> but i'm also allergic so i have an actual excuse LOL
> 
> 3\. thank u for reading! i hope u enjoyed this silly fic XD
> 
> come say hi on [twitter](http://twitter.com/xingkais) | [ask.fm](http://ask.fm/koiyake) | [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/xingkais)


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